Do’s art account, @sunnysidepress, now has over 9,000 followers and is continuously collaborating with new people and brands.
Thao Vi-Do
Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville
Pharmaceutical Studies
Thao-Vi Do sits in her room pondering what to wear for prom. She scrolls online and considers all her options until she remembers that every single school dress she has ever worn has been provided for her from JJ’s House, a dress company.
“I’ve collaborated with 18 companies [for my art],” Do said. “My favorite one right now is JJ’s House. I just create a drawing [of the dress] and advertise for them and they provide all my dance dresses for high school.”
Do started drawing when she was seven- years-old. She said she fell in love with doodling and quickly turned her passion into a regular hobby.
“I’ve always been really passionate about art,” Do said. “In elementary school I would get books and copy an animal [from the book] on paper. In middle school, I decided to get Instagram to showcase my art and see how successful I could be.”
Do’s art account, @sunnysidepress, now has over 9,000 followers and is continuously collaborating with new people and brands. Anna Kalfus, French teacher, said she has supported Do’s art career since the beginning.
“I think she’s so talented,” Kalfus said. “I don’t know anyone else who could do [art] like that. I want to have one of her original art pieces when she’s really famous.”
Although Do has become popular on social media for her artwork, Kalfus said she comes off as more of a shy person. She said that while she might be quiet, Do is full of surprises once you get to know her.
“Thao-Vi is outgoing, but she’s not,” said Kalfus. “She’s an awesome person. Don’t be fooled by [her] calm, quiet demeanor, it’s not true. She has surprises.”
As Do plans to go to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) to become a pharmacist, she hopes to continue her love for art and doodling as she moves on to the next chapter in her life.
“For me, it’s more about the people I’ve met doing art,” Do said. “Getting the connection of ‘we are both creative people and we can use the things around us to create something incredible.’ That’s what I really like about it, the collaborative side.”